Last



Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

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GEORGE CLAUSING, Oli PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE VULGAN LAST COM- PANY, 0F PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

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Application filed November 1, 1922. Serial No. 598,238.

To all whom t may conce/m.'

Be it known that I, Gnonen CLAUSING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in lasts and primarily to lasts adapted for use in the manufacture of shoes, and an object thereof is the provision of improved means for contracting and expanding the waist measure of the last b v automatically contracting and expanding the instep of the last by the movement of the last parts to shortened and lengthened positions.

In the last constituting my invention means have been provided whereby the last parts are held locked in its shortened and lengthened positions, means also being provided whereby when the last is extended contraction of the instep block is prevented.

In one form of my invention the bearing about which the last parts are moved is an integral part of the last parts and a portion thereof is so arranged as to engage the instep blockwhen the last is extended and thereby prevent accidental collapse or contraction of the instep block and reduction of the waist of the last.

In another form of myinvention the last parts are moved. about a bearing pin or pins the last parts being held againstaccidental separation by means of a spring cooperating r with a link by which the two parts of the last are joined to each other. this arrangement providing a means for locking the last either in lengthened or shortened position. Means have been provided in this last also for reducing the waist and instep measure of the last as the last is shortened.

A further novel feature of this latter form of my improved last is the provision of what mav be termed bearings in the instep block and which cooperate with a pin attached to the heel part of the last for contracting and expanding the waist and instep measure of the last. these bearings preventing movement of the instep block when the last is locked in either its lengthened or shortened position.

In the accompanying drawings.'-

Fig. 1 shows one form of my improved last, in lengthened positionw'ith a portion broken away so as ,to show the interior mechanism thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring first of all to Fig. 1, 1 designates the fore part of my improved last and 2 the heel part, these two being separated transversely along the lines 3, 4 to provide a knuckle joint bearing the socket portion of this joint being formed in the fore part and the ball in the heel part of the last. The two last parts are held together against accidental separation by a link 5. This link is composed of two metal members 6 and 7 ly ing in and. substantially filling the slots 8 and 9 in the fore part and heel part of the last respectively. these slots extending' longitudinally of said last parts. The link 5 is att-ached to the two parts of the last by pins 10 and 11 of spring steel or other resilient metal and so located relatively to each other and to the center C of the knuckle joint bearing that a line passing through the center of these pins lies below the center of the bearing when the last is in lengthened position and above this point when the last is shortened. This arrangement provides a lock for locking the last either in lengthened or shortened position as the case may be.

The fore part of the last has a transverse saw-out 12 which provides an instep block 13 integral with the fore part of the last and it will be obvious that b v contracting and expanding this instep block. i. e.. by moving this block vertically of the last. both the waist and instep measure of the last may be varied. In order that this result may be effected I drive into o-r otherwise permanently attach a pin 14 to the heel part of the last, this pin cooperating with a depression 15 in the instep block.

It will be seen from the foregoing that as the last parts are moved from lengthened to shortened position about the knuckle joint bearing the forward end of the pin 14, by reason of its engagement with the instep block, will move the instep block to contracted position to thereby reduce the waist m'ea's# ure of the last and yas the last parts are moved to lengthened position the instep block will be forced to its original position again. The ball portion of the knuckle joint has a portion 16 which is adapted, when the last is lengthened, to move into engagement with the under side' of the instep block to prevent collatp'sof the block. This bearing is also provided with a seat 17 at the rear or" the portion 16 for receiving or seat-ing the rear end portion 18 of the instep block when the last is shortened.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a last transversely divided or separated into a tore ypart and a heel part attached to each other by a link arranged to lock the last parts either in extended or shortened position as the case may be, the

pin le which is entirely independent of the link being provided 'for automatically contracting and expanding the instep yblock as the last parts are moved from one position to another.

ln the last of F 2 l have modified the construction et the last of l sonicwhat this last comprising a tore part 19 and a heel part 2O transversely separated along the lines 21, 22 and 28. rlhe fore part and heel part of the last are rotatable about bearing pins 2d and 25 the two parts of the last being held against accidental separation by a link26 attached to the fore part by a pin 27 and to the heel part by pin 28. These pins are so located with respect to the bearing pins 24 and 25 that a line passing throughtheir centers lies below the center of the bearing pins when the last is lengthened and above this point when the last is shortened.

l/Vithin the fore part of the last I provide a spring 29 adapted to cooperate with the front end of the link 2G this spring which is always under compression tending to draw the two last parts toward each other at all times.

The fore part of the last has an integral instep block 30 provided with two transversely extending pins 3l and 32 constituting bearings for a pin 33 driven into or otherwise permanently attached to the heel part of the last.

In this construction as the last parts are moved to shortened position the pin 33 engaging the bearing pin 3l will force the instep block downwardly to contract the waist and instep line of the last and inasmuch as the pins 27 and 28 lock the last in shortened position the instep block will likewise be locked in shortened or contracted position.

lt iwill also be obvious that as the last parts lare moved to their' lengthened position'the pin 33 by reason of its engagement with 'the bearing 32 will cause the instep block to beexpanded to its original position and vinasmuch as the last parts are locked in their lengthened position as above pointed out the pin 33 in conjunction with the pins A3l and 32 will prevent accidental contraction of the yinstep blockand hence prevent contraction 'of the waist line of the last. i

I claim:

.1. A. .last capable of being moved to eX- tended or collapsed positions and comprising a :tore part and a heel part transversely separated, said tore part oit' the last being provided with a movable instep block., a link for connecting the two parts of the last together, and means independent of said link for contracting the said instep block upon the shortening of the last.

2. A last capable of being moved to extended or collapsed positions and comprising a fore part and a heel part separated transversely, said iore part of the last being provided with a movable instep block, a link connecting the two parts of the last to each other, and means independent oi said link for contracting and expanding the said instep block upon the shortening and lengthening of the last.

3. A last comprising a fore part and a heel part transversely separated to provide a knuckle joint about which the last parts are movable to shortened and lengthened positions, a link connecting the fore part and heel part to each other, said i'ore part being provided with a movable instep block, a pin carried by the heel part and extending lengthwise oit the last into said movable instep block to contract and expand the same as the last parts are kmoved to shortcned and lengthened positions.

et. A last capable of being moved to extended or collapsed positions and comprising a `lore part and a. heel part, said Jore part being provided with a movable instep block, a pin connected to the lheel part and ,xtending longitudinally of the last into said instep block and operable to contract and expand the instep block as the last parts are moved to lengthened and shortened positions.

5. A last comprising a fore part and a heel part, said last parts being mcvaliile to extended and shortened positions about a muokle joint V'forn'ied integral with the last parts, the tore part otthe last being provided with a movable instep block. and means independent oit the knuckle joint ttor contracting and expanding the instep block. a portion ot said knuckle joint being operable when the 'la-st is in extended position `to maintain the instep block in its expanded position.

6. A last comprising a fore part and-fa heel part7 said fore part being provided vwith a movable instep block, a knuckle joint integral with ksaid last parts and about which the last parts are movable to extended and shortened positions, a link for preventing separation ofthe last parts, and means independent of said knuckle joint for contractingsaid -inst-ep block when the last parts-are moved to shortened position and lfor expanding the instep block when the last parts are moved to extended position, a portion of said knuckle joint engaging the instep block when the last parts are extended to prevent collapse ot the block.

7. A last capable ot being moved to extended or collapsed positions and comprising a fore part and a heel part transversely separated, a link connected to the tore part and heel part for preventing separation oi the two parts of the last, an instep block integral with the fore part of the last, and a pin operable independently ot said link and permanently attached to the heel part and adapted to contract and expand said instepr block when the last is moved to shortened and to lengthened positions.

8. A last comprising a fore part and a heel part, said fore part being provided with a movable instep block, said parts being provided with an integral knuckle joint about which the last parts are movable to shortened and lengthened positions, the heel part of the last being provided with a member cooperating with the instep block to contract and expand the same, said knuckle joint being movable into engagement with the instep block when the last parts are extended to prevent collapse of the block and a portion of said knuckle joint at the rear of the block-engaging portion being cut away to provide a seat for the block in the heel part of the last when the last parts are in contracted position.

9. A last comprising a transversely divided fore part and heel part, a bearing about which the two parts of the last are movable to shortened and to lengthened positions, a link for preventing separation of the last parts, the ends of the link being connected to the fore part and heel part at points falling below the center of said bearing when the last is extended and above the center of said bearing when the last is shortened, an instep block attached to the fore part of the last, a member carried by the heel part and operable when the last is shortened to contract said instep block and to expand said block when the last is lengthened, said bearing being provided with means adapted to engage the instep block for preventing collapse of the latter when the last is in extended position.

l0. A last comprising a fore part and a heel part, said parts being provided with an integral bearing to permit the last parts to be moved to lengthened and shortened positions, a link :tor preventing separation of the last parts, spring pins for holding the link in place, said pins being so located relativelyY to said bearing that a line joining said pins falls below the center of said bearing when the last is extended and above the center of said bearing when the last is shortened to hold the last either in shortened or lengthened position, an instep block integral with the tore part of the last, a pin rigidly secured to the heel part of the last and cooperating with a depression in the instep block to contract and expand the latter as the last is moved to shortened and lengthened positions, said bearing being provided with a portion adapted to engage the instep block when the last is extended for preventing collapse of the instep block and with a eut-away portion at the rear of the bearing for receiving the instep block when the last is shortened and the block contracted.

11. A last comprising a fore part and a heel part and provided with an integral bearing about which the last parts are movable to shortened and extended positions, a link connected by'spring pins to the fore part and heel part of the last, said link lying in and substantially iilling a longitudinally extending slot in the two parts ot the last, said spring pins being so located with respect to said bearing as to maintain the last parts in extended and lengthened positions, an instep block integral with the fore part of the last, a pin rigid with respect to the heel part and cooperating with a depression in the instep block and functioning to collapse and expand the instep block as the last parts are moved to shortened and extended positions, said bearing being provided with an integral portion engaging the instep block when the last is extended to prevent contraction of the block and with a seat at the rear of said block-engaging portion for receiving the instep block when the last is collapsed.

This specification signed this 28 day of October, 1922.

GEORGE CLAUSING. 

